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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 · current · trunk · rest · last · stick · toast · bound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — finally
  5. rest — what's left
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. last — to go on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — tied together
  14. current — electric
  15. rest — a break
  16. toast — bread
  17. last — final
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bore — to drill

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