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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.

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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. content — the amount
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. content — happy
  8. object — to protest
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — the season
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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