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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — a stone
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rock — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — in cards
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. hand — help
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chip — to eat
  16. current — electric
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — an injury

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