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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. club — for dancing
  3. current — of water
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — electric
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. race — a contest
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. club — for golf
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. race — humankind
  20. lie — to recline
  21. band — a music group
  22. current — happening now
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — a group

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