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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — a stone
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. current — happening now
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rule — government
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. shower — rain
  23. rock — music
  24. drill — army training

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