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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · bore · tube · mark · game · current · wind · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — of water
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. current — electric
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mark — a grade
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tube — a container

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