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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: firm · shower · rock · current · board · suit · march · rash

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. suit — clothes
  3. current — of water
  4. board — to get on
  5. suit — to fit
  6. march — music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — electric
  10. rock — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — hasty
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — a committee
  15. firm — steady
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. march — the month
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — a company
  23. march — the month
  24. current — happening now

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