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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · current · drill · season · bore · calf · content · plane

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — army training
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. season — in sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. bore — to tire
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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