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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: bulb · board · ground · wound · stand · stick · snap · current

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ground — crushed
  14. snap — to click
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ground — a position
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — of water
  23. board — a committee
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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