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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: wound · can · mate · hide · bore · fall · ground · current

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. current — electric
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — happening now
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ground — a position
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. can — to be able to
  24. current — of water

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