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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: stick · bore · hand · current · ball · rush · wake · mark

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. current — electric
  9. hand — help
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — of water
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — a grade

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