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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cabinet · cue · rest · deal · rash · game · hide

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cue — a signal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. game — a match
  10. current — happening now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — a break
  16. cue — a hint
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — a series
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — a kind of play
  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