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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: fan · squash · wound · bowl · current · rock · present · row

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. present — there
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rock — music
  17. current — happening now
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. row — a line
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. squash — to crush
  24. current — electric

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