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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.

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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: lie · ruler · bank · spring · net · current · mark · stick

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — a trace
  6. net — for catching
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — electric
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spring — the season
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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