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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: date · current · cell · track · rash · kick · fan · hand

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. current — happening now
  3. date — the fruit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — a series
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cell — in biology
  11. current — electric
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — in cards
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. current — of water
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cell — a phone
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — help
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — on the calendar

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