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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 · stick · nail · wind · key · current · track · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — electric
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. key — in music
  8. current — happening now
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. shower — rain
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. drill — the tool
  20. track — a path
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. key — the most important part
  23. drill — army training
  24. wind — moving air

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