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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 · lie · row · game · current · mouse · bowl · bore

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. game — a match
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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