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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: hide · dip · mine · current · jam · lean · board · game

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — to sink
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — thin
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. current — of water
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — for digging
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — electric
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — happening now
  22. game — a match
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — to bend

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