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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: lie · spell · current · mate · dip · wave · shower · spring

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — happening now
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. spell — magic
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — electric
  13. spring — the season
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lie — to recline
  16. current — of water
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spring — of water
  22. shower — rain
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lie — an untruth

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