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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: rush · season · roll · wave · rest · suit · hand · current

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. current — electric
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. suit — to fit
  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