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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 · current · racket · mark · hide · wax · pop · face

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pop — soda
  3. face — to confront
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — of water
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spring — the season
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — to visit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pop — music
  24. current — of water

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