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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: board · wound · bear · saw · arm · kid · current · mouse

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — electric
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. current — happening now
  17. kid — child
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. board — to get on
  24. arm — part of the body

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