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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: current · band · rush · roll · fan · kid · season · stick

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. season — of the year
  3. current — electric
  4. roll — a cake
  5. kid — child
  6. band — a music group
  7. roll — a list
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. current — happening now
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rush — a thrill

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