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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: net · cap · last · mouse · wave · rush · drill · mug

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. last — to go on
  6. drill — army training
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — after costs
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — for catching
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. last — finally
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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