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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: kick · current · race · wound · bound · bore · bear · saw

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. bore — to tire
  10. race — a contest
  11. kick — in football
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. current — electric
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — to drill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bound — certain
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — obliged

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