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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — wild animals
  4. current — electric
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — final
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. current — happening now
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. game — a match
  19. bore — to tire
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — a coil

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