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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — electric
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. scale — in music
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — of water
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. current — happening now
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chair — a leader
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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