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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: race · present · drill · sharp · current · stem · bore · row

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — a contest
  3. bore — to tire
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. drill — army training
  6. current — electric
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. current — of water
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. present — a gift
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — there
  19. row — a line
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — the time now
  24. race — humankind

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