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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 116 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: drill · clip · spring · bear · degree · current · fine · bass

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. spring — of water
  5. drill — the tool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. current — electric
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — happening now
  10. drill — army training
  11. clip — a video
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. current — of water
  14. fine — high quality
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — the fish
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. degree — temperature
  20. spring — the season
  21. bass — low music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — all right
  24. clip — for paper

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