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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: sharp · net · drill · tear · current · calf · bore · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — army training
  11. shower — to wash
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. drill — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — electric

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