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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: fall · bore · rock · jam · tear · lean · wave · current

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. current — of water
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. current — electric
  6. fall — the season
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — to tire
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lean — thin
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — happening now

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