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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: hand · cue · current · rest · season · rash · present · saw

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — a break
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. current — happening now
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cue — a signal
  13. present — a gift
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — of water
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — electric
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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