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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. current — happening now
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — help
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — of water
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. current — electric
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wind — to turn a key

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