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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: bore · cell · scale · rush · current · straw · wave · pitcher

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — to tire
  9. current — of water
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — in music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bore — to drill

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