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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: current · pop · row · rest · rash · press · bark · coach

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pop — music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — soda
  15. row — a line
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — to push
  21. current — of water
  22. rash — a series
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — to visit

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