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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: rule · current · board · nail · cell · sharp · cold · bear

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — to get on
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. board — a committee
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. rule — government
  23. current — happening now
  24. cold — not warm

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