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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · sharp · rush · fine · cap · fall · straw

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fine — all right
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cap — a hat
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cap — of ice
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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