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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: ground · snap · mine · object · current · wake · march · bore

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ground — a position
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. snap — to click
  7. march — music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. current — happening now
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — of water
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to tire
  20. object — an aim
  21. ground — crushed
  22. object — to protest
  23. wake — a trail
  24. current — electric

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