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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · hand · current · leaves · cell · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cell — a phone
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — happening now
  6. drill — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. hand — help
  15. current — electric
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay

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