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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: object · shower · board · hand · cabinet · rock · current · mark

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — a committee
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — a stone
  7. shower — rain
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. object — a thing
  11. rock — music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — a grade
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. current — electric
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hand — help

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