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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a skill
  11. race — humankind
  12. last — to go on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. race — the arms race
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to click
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — a break
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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