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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: spring · hand · plane · current · game · bore · jam · temple

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. spring — a coil
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — a match
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — of water
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hand — help
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. current — happening now
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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