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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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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: stick · deal · wound · bark · foot · board · wind · current

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — electric
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a committee
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — a measure
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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