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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. mug — a face
  4. cold — an illness
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. deal — to handle
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — of a plant
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wound — an injury

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