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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 · wave · squash · lie · bear · kid · last · board

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. last — final
  3. kid — child
  4. current — happening now
  5. kid — to tease
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — electric
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. current — of water
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. squash — the sport
  22. last — finally
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. board — to get on

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