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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — of water
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — happening now
  17. spring — the season
  18. bark — a dog's sound

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