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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — a company
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — steady
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. file — a document
  15. current — happening now
  16. file — a tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — the tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — clothes
  24. current — of water

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