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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 120 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: cue · ball · lie · foot · spring · current · hide · band

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spring — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — of water
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. band — a music group
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a hint
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — a measure
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. band — a ring
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. spring — a coil

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