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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 · land · face · bay · dip · wound · current · jam

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. face — to point toward
  6. dip — to sink
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. board — a committee
  15. land — a country
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. current — of water
  21. wound — an injury
  22. land — to come down
  23. current — happening now
  24. face — to confront

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