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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. net — for catching
  4. current — electric
  5. board — to get on
  6. bore — to tire
  7. board — a committee
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bank — of a river
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. current — happening now
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. current — of water
  24. rule — government

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