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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: tube · current · drill · wax · stem · bat · mug · pass

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — to rob
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — of water
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mug — a face
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. drill — army training
  24. bat — for baseball

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