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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: current · vault · bore · track · shower · dip · wake · bound

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — electric
  5. track — a path
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a song
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bore — to tire
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bound — certain
  19. current — happening now
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — to keep track

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