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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: current · prune · rush · kid · press · dip · rash · stand

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kid — child
  9. stand — to bear
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — newspapers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to sink
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rash — hasty
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — hurry

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