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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 116 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: swing · pass · stem · drill · fine · rush · current · spring

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. swing — in golf
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. swing — music
  8. spring — the season
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — of water
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pass — a permit
  16. spring — a coil
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — happening now
  19. rush — hurry
  20. current — of water
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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