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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · drill · cell · present · mug · pitcher · current · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — electric
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cell — in biology
  9. present — a gift
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mug — a face
  15. present — the time now
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mate — to breed
  19. current — of water
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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