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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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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 · cap · current · last · mouse · key · board · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — final
  3. drill — the tool
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. current — of water
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — of ice
  11. drill — army training
  12. key — for a lock
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. cap — a lid
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — a hat
  24. board — to get on

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