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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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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — finally
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. current — of water
  19. suit — to fit
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. drill — army training
  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