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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · mate · degree · rash · bore · wave · current · bound

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — happening now
  3. present — there
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — the time now
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mate — to breed
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — electric
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — a gift
  24. rash — a series

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