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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. roll — a cake
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — certain
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. board — a committee
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — thin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — humankind
  16. lean — to bend
  17. roll — a list
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. race — the arms race
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. race — a contest

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