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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rule — government
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — a committee
  6. rule — a law
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. board — to get on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — of water
  13. season — of the year
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a music group
  18. current — happening now
  19. season — in sport
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rule — to rule out

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