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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. band — a music group
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — happening now
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — a practice
  23. squash — the sport
  24. band — a ring

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