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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bat — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. current — electric
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — happening now
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spring — of water
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — of water
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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