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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: cell · fork · current · pitcher · spring · calf · mine · plane

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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. current — electric
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. cell — in biology
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. current — happening now
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — in a road
  14. plane — a tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — for digging
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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