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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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. shower — to wash
  6. current — electric
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — army training
  10. bound — certain
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. current — happening now
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. current — of water
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — hasty
  24. drill — a practice

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