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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: bore · current · track · bark · plane · bulb · squash · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bore — to tire
  3. squash — to crush
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — a song
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. squash — the sport
  17. current — electric
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — a thing
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — an aim

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