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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: nail · wave · squash · bowl · land · wake · current · stand

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wave — with your hand

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