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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: rock · kid · current · bear · squash · rush · board · face

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. current — happening now
  4. face — to point toward
  5. board — a committee
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kid — to tease
  11. squash — to crush
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. face — to confront
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — to get on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. squash — the sport
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rock — music

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