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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 116 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 · tear · bore · racket · fork · rock · saw · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — happening now
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fork — in a road
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — of water
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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