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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. drill — army training
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a music group
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mate — to breed
  10. band — a ring
  11. fall — the season
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kid — child
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mate — a partner
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mine — for digging
  19. drill — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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