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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spring — the season
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — electric
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — hasty
  17. snap — to click
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rash — a series
  21. bear — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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