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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · patient · hide · drill · pop · object · current · cabinet

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. last — finally
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. current — electric
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — of water
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — happening now
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. drill — army training
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — a thing
  24. hide — animal skin

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