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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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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 · bore · key · plane · pound · mug · content · lean

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — happy
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lean — thin
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. key — for a lock
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. current — of water
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mug — to rob
  14. current — happening now
  15. key — in music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. content — the amount
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mug — a face

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