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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: board · foot · current · wave · object · kid · fall · land

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. object — to protest
  4. current — electric
  5. object — a thing
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — a country
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. land — ground
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — to come down
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fall — to drop

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