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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · mate · current · stick · present · board · fan · row

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a line of people
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. current — of water
  9. mate — to breed
  10. present — there
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. current — electric
  16. present — a gift
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a document
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. present — the time now

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