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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: bulb · bay · board · sharp · land · current · wound · lash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. board — a committee
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. land — to come down
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. current — happening now
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — of water
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — exactly

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