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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: rest · leaves · race · kid · current · hide · rash · fan

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. current — of water
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — humankind
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — electric
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — happening now
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — on the skin

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