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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 · bass · calf · board · bat · rule · hide · tear

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a committee
  18. bass — low music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — of water
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. current — electric

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