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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. drill — a practice
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. drill — army training
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. chip — for betting
  17. last — to go on
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. last — finally
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — a permit

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