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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · firm · rock · cell · ground · drill · mark · wind

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ground — a position
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — the earth
  10. firm — steady
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. current — of water
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — music
  17. firm — decided
  18. current — electric
  19. firm — a company
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — happening now
  24. mark — to pay attention

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