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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — to rob
  3. current — electric
  4. roll — a list
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lean — to bend
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. roll — a cake
  11. board — a committee
  12. current — happening now
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. board — to get on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — of water
  19. lean — thin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mug — a face
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pit — in a race
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com