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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: current · vault · bore · track · shower · dip

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. 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. shower — to wash
  2. bore — to drill
  3. current — electric
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. shower — rain
  7. dip — to sink
  8. track — a path
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bore — to tire
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. current — of water
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. 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