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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 116 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: hide · rush · bass · fine · bowl · current · board · straw

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the fish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. current — of water
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. current — happening now
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. current — electric
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bass — low music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — a committee
  24. fine — all right

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