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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 120 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: bore · deal · drill · rush · fine · stem · spell · current

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — electric
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. fine — high quality
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spell — letters

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