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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 116 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: bank · firm · file · rash · rest · current · shower · wave

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rest — a break
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a document
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. shower — to wash
  15. file — a tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. shower — rain
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — a company
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. current — electric
  23. firm — steady
  24. rest — what's left

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