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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: rush · row · mine · drill · fine · leaves · toast · current

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. toast — bread
  14. fine — all right
  15. current — of water
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fine — high quality
  19. drill — army training
  20. current — happening now
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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