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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. fall — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. current — happening now
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rock — music
  6. current — of water
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spring — of water
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spring — the season
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rock — a stone
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. plane — a tool
  21. current — electric
  22. bore — to tire
  23. season — in sport
  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