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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: fan · deal · rule · wave · bass · face · current · board

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — government
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. board — to get on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rule — a law
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — happening now
  24. wave — with your hand

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