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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: swing · current · shower · coach · drill · saw · scale · spring

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. drill — army training
  6. spring — a coil
  7. drill — the tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — happening now
  14. shower — to wash
  15. spring — of water
  16. current — of water
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. current — electric
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — the season
  23. drill — a practice
  24. scale — size or range

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