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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: bore · wound · shower · current · snap · ruler · cabinet · bat

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. current — of water
  3. shower — rain
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — electric
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — happening now
  24. wound — an injury

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