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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — of water
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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