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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: land · current · object · face · fan · rush · rash · row

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. land — ground
  9. row — a line
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rash — hasty
  12. object — to protest
  13. land — a country
  14. object — a thing
  15. current — happening now
  16. land — to come down
  17. current — electric
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — to confront
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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