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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: kick · present · pitcher · temple · rock · bore · spring · current

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — there
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — of water
  8. rock — a stone
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rock — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — a gift
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kick — in football
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spring — of water
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. spring — the season

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