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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. current — electric
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mine — for digging
  11. current — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wax — to grow
  18. current — happening now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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