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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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Word bank
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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tube — a container
  6. current — happening now
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. hand — help
  20. kick — in football
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. current — of water
  24. wound — an injury

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