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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
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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: spring · bay · current · clip · dip · mouse · leaves · object

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. current — happening now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. dip — to sink
  6. clip — a video
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. current — of water
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. object — a thing
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — of water
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. clip — to cut
  19. current — electric
  20. spring — a coil
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mouse — 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