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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: rush · wound · mate · drill · current · rule · leaves · club

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — government
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — electric
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. current — happening now
  12. mate — a friend
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — of water
  22. club — for golf
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a partner

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