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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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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lie — to recline
  3. spring — of water
  4. current — of water
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — in music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spring — the season
  24. lie — an untruth

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