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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.

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: bowl · wound · mate · current · rush · charge · ball · spring

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — in control
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — a price
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ball — a dance
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spring — the season
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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