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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: mine · rush · rock · current · last · drill · row · bulb

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. bulb — for light
  4. last — final
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rush — hurry
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mine — for digging
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — finally
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. last — to go on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — happening now
  22. row — a line
  23. rock — music
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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