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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: current · wound · arm · board · mark · rush · bark · pound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — electric
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. board — a committee
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — a weight

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