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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. net — for catching
  3. rash — a series
  4. wind — moving air
  5. race — the arms race
  6. current — of water
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — electric
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — a contest
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. net — in sport
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. race — humankind

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