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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 116 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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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: pit · band · wind · wake · face · tear · bore · current

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — of water
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — electric
  11. tear — to rip
  12. band — a music group
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. band — a ring
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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