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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: hide · current · bore · bowl · plane · march · clip · key

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — a video
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — music
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. march — the month
  17. bore — to drill
  18. clip — for paper
  19. current — electric
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. march — the month
  22. clip — to cut
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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