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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — a country
  19. current — happening now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — electric
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — of water
  24. lie — to recline

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