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

Word bank: bore · ground · mine · stick · current · race · wind · bay

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. current — electric
  5. race — a contest
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — a position
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. race — humankind
  15. current — happening now
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — of water
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ground — the earth

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