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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: season · rush · last · dip · fan · rock · suit · current

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — clothes
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — in sport
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — final
  19. rock — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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