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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: cap · season · foot · current · patient · wake · branch · board

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. board — to get on
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cap — of ice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — in sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — a trail
  23. foot — part of the body
  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