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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · mug · rash · drill · spring · mark · current · row

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — of water
  3. row — a line
  4. spring — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — electric
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — happening now
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mark — a trace

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