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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
468
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: plane · track · cold · drill · squash · current · can · coach

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — a path
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. track — a song
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. plane — a tool
  13. current — of water
  14. can — to be able to
  15. drill — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — happening now
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. track — to keep track

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