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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.

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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 · branch · kid · spring · mug · bear · saw · bore

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mug — a cup
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spring — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — of water
  13. spring — of water
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. branch — a division
  23. kid — child
  24. bear — the 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