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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — happening now
  9. firm — steady
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — of water
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — the season
  24. bank — of a river

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