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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: snap · current · ground · track · board · lie · content · patient

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — happy
  5. ground — crushed
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. ground — the earth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — the amount
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. track — a path
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. current — electric
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — a position
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a committee
  24. track — a song

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