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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. board — to get on
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to click
  5. last — finally
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — help
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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