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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: pop · current · kick · present · pass · drill · mine · rush

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. current — electric
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — there
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. drill — army training

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