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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. last — finally
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. drill — army training
  24. current — electric

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