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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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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 · stem · wave · pound · rule · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rule — government
  10. rash — a series
  11. rule — a law
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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