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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spring — the season
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spring — of water
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — happening now

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