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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cap — of ice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a hat
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — to get on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. current — electric
  13. staff — a stick
  14. board — a committee
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. current — happening now
  24. board — a flat piece

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