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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: hide · tube · suit · current · rash · pop · ground · dip

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rash — a series
  4. suit — clothes
  5. dip — to sink
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — of water
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — happening now
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pop — soda
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — to visit

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