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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: current · drill · pass · spell · chest · bass · last · foot

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. current — electric
  3. last — finally
  4. current — of water
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — a permit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. last — to go on
  9. spell — letters
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chest — a box
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. last — final
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — happening now
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — the tool

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