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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · mine · deal · leaves · spring · ruler · clip · cabinet

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. current — of water
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. clip — a video
  19. current — electric
  20. spring — a coil
  21. current — happening now
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. leaves — lets stay

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