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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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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: current · mark · press · band · hand · wake · wave · plane

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hand — help
  3. band — a music group
  4. press — newspapers
  5. current — of water
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. band — a ring
  9. press — to push
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — a tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. current — happening now
  24. hand — in cards

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