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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: wave · current · bank · bore · key · bass · drill · wound

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — low music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — happening now
  10. bank — for money
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — of water
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to drill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. bass — the fish

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