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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bass · bore · clip · present · mug · wake · current

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — a trail
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bore — to tire
  9. current — electric
  10. present — a gift
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — the fish
  14. clip — a video
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. present — the time now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a face
  21. bore — to drill
  22. clip — to cut
  23. present — there
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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