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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · current · chair · rest · board · sharp · cold · tube

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cold — an illness
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. tube — a container
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. cold — not warm
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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