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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 · charge · deal · patient · press · wave · rash · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — to push
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — happening now
  8. deal — to handle
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rash — hasty
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — a price
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. current — of water

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