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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — of water
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — letters
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lean — thin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. vault — a safe
  22. spell — magic
  23. current — happening now
  24. drill — the tool

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