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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: kid · perch · board · wave · band · current · cabinet · lash

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kid — to tease
  4. current — happening now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a music group
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a ring
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. perch — the fish
  17. board — to get on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — child
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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