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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — happening now
  4. drill — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. last — finally
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — a law
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. drill — army training
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. last — final
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. net — after costs
  20. rule — government
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — in sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. net — for catching

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