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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: rule · rock · calf · current · sharp · craft · cold · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. current — happening now
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rule — a law
  6. craft — boats
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. sharp — clever
  9. current — electric
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rock — a stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. craft — a skill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cold — an illness
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. current — of water
  24. rule — government

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