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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — a face
  8. root — the cause
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. current — of water
  13. mug — to rob
  14. file — a document
  15. board — a committee
  16. shower — to wash
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. charge — a price
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. root — of a word
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — a cup
  24. root — of a plant

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