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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: current · nail · racket · bound · march · lie · wake · bore

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. march — the month
  21. current — happening now
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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