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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: shower · drill · sharp · cabinet · press · bulb · wax · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — a practice
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. current — happening now
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. drill — army training
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — newspapers
  21. drill — the tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — for light

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