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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: rush · fine · key · current · wave · shower · bay · capital

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fine — all right
  4. current — happening now
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. shower — to wash
  8. capital — money
  9. shower — rain
  10. key — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. current — of water
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rush — to 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