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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.

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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 · fall · scale · swing · drill · mug · root · patient

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — in music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — of a word
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mug — to rob
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a face
  14. rush — hurry
  15. root — the cause
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — the season
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. swing — in golf
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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