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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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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: rest · current · board · kick · wave · plane · bat · root

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — of a word
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. current — electric
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — happening now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — in football
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. board — a committee
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — of water
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rest — a break
  24. board — a flat piece

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