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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.

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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: stand · cold · drill · bulb · rush · current · content · wave

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. drill — the tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — happening now
  9. cold — an illness
  10. current — of water
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. drill — army training
  15. cold — not warm
  16. content — happy
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — hurry
  24. current — electric

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