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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 116 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: wake · straw · current · board · bay · rock · spell · hand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — electric
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hand — help
  14. rock — a stone
  15. current — of water
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hand — in cards
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rock — to move gently

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