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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — a position
  6. spring — the season
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — a committee
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lean — to bend
  15. vault — a safe
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. current — electric
  24. spring — of water

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