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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mug — to rob
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spell — letters
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a cup
  12. track — a path
  13. mug — a face
  14. ground — a position
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — animal skin

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