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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: row · wave · rash · dip · present · bulb · current · rush

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — of water
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. present — a gift
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — electric
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. row — a line
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. present — the time now
  22. rash — a series
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — to paddle

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