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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. saw — the tool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — in music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. clip — a video
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bulb — for light

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