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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · march · stand · wind · wave · squash · current · land

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. current — electric
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — of water
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. march — the month
  13. land — ground
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — music
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — clever
  18. land — a country
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. squash — to crush

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