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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: drill · track · staff · current · spring · bound · shower · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. shower — to wash
  5. spring — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — to keep track
  9. current — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. staff — a stick
  12. track — a song
  13. drill — the tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — certain
  16. shower — rain
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — to rob
  19. track — a path
  20. bound — obliged
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — electric
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — the season

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