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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — in sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — happening now
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a document
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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