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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: mouse · rash · current · bark · land · straw · board · stand

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — electric
  7. land — to come down
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — to get on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. land — ground
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. current — happening now
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. board — a committee
  22. rash — hasty
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — a series

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