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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: board · wave · prune · hide · firm · chest · current · game

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — decided
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — of your body
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — steady
  17. board — to get on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. game — a match
  20. chest — a box
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. firm — a company
  23. current — of water
  24. prune — to trim

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