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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. current — of water
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rock — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a great time
  24. current — happening now

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