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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 116 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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468
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: fall · rock · rash · hand · leaves · current · object · swing

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hand — help
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. current — of water
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. rash — a series
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. object — an aim
  13. hand — in cards
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. object — to protest
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. object — a thing
  24. fall — to drop

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