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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: firm · tear · drill · fine · tube · mouse · bark · current

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. current — electric
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. current — of water
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tear — from crying
  15. drill — army training
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. drill — a practice

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