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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 120 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: wound · current · last · game · board · firm · rash · rush

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — a company
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — decided
  10. last — to go on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. current — electric
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — steady
  18. current — happening now
  19. board — a committee
  20. rush — hurry
  21. current — of water
  22. rash — hasty
  23. last — final
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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