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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: wake · ball · bore · stem · cabinet · net · suit · current

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a great time
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. current — electric
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — happening now
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — in sport

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