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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: wake · spring · pop · bear · patient · rush · lie · current

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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