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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 116 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: suit · drill · wake · can · craft · board · wound · current

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. drill — army training
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — the tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. suit — in cards
  8. board — a committee
  9. current — electric
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. suit — clothes
  12. drill — a practice
  13. suit — to fit
  14. current — happening now
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. current — of water

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