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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: lean · present · current · rule · cell · bore · hand · wave

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hand — help
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. rule — a law
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cell — a phone
  13. current — of water
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. rule — government
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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