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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 · rule · chest · toast · stem · current · rest · season

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rule — government
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. drill — a practice
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — a law
  19. chest — a box
  20. current — of water
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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