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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. charge — a price
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — electric
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chip — for betting
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bore — to tire
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — gave birth

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