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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: mate · suit · race · lie · spring · content · mine · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. current — electric
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mate — a partner
  9. suit — clothes
  10. content — happy
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — of water
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mate — a friend
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — humankind
  23. content — the amount
  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