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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: shower · rule · current · calf · bass · mug · drill · wake

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. mug — a cup
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — a trail
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — of water
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. current — electric
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rule — government
  20. drill — army training
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — happening now
  24. rule — to rule out

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