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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: sharp · net · lean · deal · tube · rash · current · dip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — happening now
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. current — electric
  6. tube — the underground
  7. net — in sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rash — a series
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. current — of water
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lean — thin
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. dip — to sink
  21. tube — a container
  22. net — after costs
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — in a tire

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