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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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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: nail · dip · file · shower · stem · saw · bore · current

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — happening now
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — rain
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. shower — to wash
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. dip — a sauce

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