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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · fall · bowl · net · rock · firm · current · wave

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — music
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. net — in sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — for catching
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. current — of water
  15. rash — a series
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — with your hand

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