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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: row · board · file · lie · mark · current · date · bear

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. file — a line of people
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. board — to get on
  13. current — happening now
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — the fruit
  16. file — a tool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — a trace
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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