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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: board · cold · staff · current · bank · arm · craft · cue

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — a hint
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. current — of water
  8. craft — boats
  9. cue — a signal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — happening now
  22. board — to get on
  23. cold — not warm
  24. craft — a skill

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