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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: snap · racket · current · pass · drill · tube · chest · shower

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — the tool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — a box
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. drill — army training
  19. shower — rain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — of water
  23. drill — a practice
  24. tube — the underground

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