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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: ground · file · current · rush · kick · mate · mug · drill

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. file — a tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ground — a position
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — army training
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mug — a face
  17. current — of water
  18. ground — the earth
  19. file — a document
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mate — a partner
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — a cup

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