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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. current — electric
  5. bank — for money
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. shower — to wash
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stock — goods
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — letters
  14. stock — shares
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — rain
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — gave birth

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