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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: bore · clip · bound · bank · last · staff · rock · current

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. current — of water
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — employees
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — electric
  13. staff — a stick
  14. current — happening now
  15. clip — a video
  16. last — finally
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — certain
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bank — of a river
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. last — final

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