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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. content — the amount
  7. current — of water
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spring — of water
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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