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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: current · row · patient · bore · drill · mine · date · rush

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. drill — army training
  4. row — a line
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — for digging
  10. row — to paddle
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. drill — the tool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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