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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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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: rest · wave · band · current · rock · dip · rash · cell

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. band — a music group
  3. current — of water
  4. cell — in biology
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rock — a stone
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rock — music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. band — a ring
  14. cell — a phone
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — a series
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rest — what's left

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