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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.

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: rush · spell · mug · current · bore · bat · last · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a face
  10. spell — a short time
  11. last — finally
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — to go on
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — letters
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — a supporter

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