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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 124 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: capital · wave · current · tube · kid · rash · season · dip

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rash — a series
  4. capital — a city
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. season — in sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — to tease
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kid — child
  14. current — electric
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. current — happening now
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. capital — money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — of the year

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