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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: rash · land · bulb · mark · cold · firm · wave · current

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. land — a country
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mark — a trace
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — happening now
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. firm — a company
  11. land — to come down
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — ground
  17. mark — a grade
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — not warm
  23. firm — steady
  24. wave — with your hand

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