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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: current · last · nail · bark · bore · racket · craft · saw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. current — electric
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. current — happening now
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — boats
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — finally
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — of water
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. last — final

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