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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: mine · wound · sharp · bore · roll · suit · pound · shower

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. roll — a cake
  4. shower — to wash
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wound — an injury
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — a weight
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mine — for digging
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. shower — rain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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