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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: mine · hide · rash · last · current · firm · racket · wound

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — an injury
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. firm — steady
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — final
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — a company
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — a series
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. last — to go on

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