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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: rash · press · mouse · game · firm · present · current · wave

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rash — a series
  6. present — a gift
  7. press — a publisher
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. current — electric
  12. present — the time now
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. firm — decided
  19. game — wild animals
  20. present — there
  21. game — a match
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. current — of water

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