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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. current — of water
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — for digging
  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