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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 124 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. band — a music group
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lie — to recline
  9. drill — army training
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — electric
  14. row — a line
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. drill — a practice
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. row — to paddle
  24. current — of water

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