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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. current — of water
  18. drill — army training
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mug — a face
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — happening now

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