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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. current — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — the season
  12. pop — music
  13. current — happening now
  14. board — to get on
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. current — electric
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pop — to visit
  22. board — a committee
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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