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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 120 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: arm · kick · current · stand · wake · hand · snap · board

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. current — electric
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. current — happening now
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — in football
  11. current — of water
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — a committee
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to click
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — to get on
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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