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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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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: last · lie · current · drill · staff · clip · pass · bore

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. bore — to tire
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — a stick
  6. clip — for paper
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — a video
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. drill — army training
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  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