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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 · mouse · rest · shower · game · current · bulb · lie

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. current — of water
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — army training
  16. game — a match
  17. current — electric
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — a break

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