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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: board · cap · craft · mouse · lean · clip · current · object

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. object — a thing
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — boats
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. current — electric
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — a video
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — of water
  20. board — a committee
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. object — to protest
  24. cap — a lid

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