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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · lean · jam · chair · wound · kick · board · rest

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. current — happening now
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. current — of water
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chair — a leader
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rest — a break
  11. lean — thin
  12. current — electric
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. board — to get on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — a committee
  24. rest — what's left

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