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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. current — of water
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. land — a country
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. land — to come down
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mine — for digging
  20. current — happening now
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — ground
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wax — for sculpting

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