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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: stick · craft · current · staff · shower · swing · charge · board

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. current — happening now
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — a stick
  14. charge — in control
  15. current — electric
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — employees
  18. shower — to wash
  19. charge — a price
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. charge — electricity
  24. craft — boats

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