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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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