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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: dip · wave · board · squash · row · stem · current · staff

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — of water
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. board — a committee
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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