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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 · clip · fan · wake · plane · spring · bay · bore

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. clip — for paper
  3. current — happening now
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. current — electric
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. clip — a video
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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