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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: board · wound · dip · shower · cabinet · plane · current · wind

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. plane — a tool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — electric
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — an injury
  22. shower — rain
  23. wind — moving air
  24. board — a committee

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