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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — a horse colour

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