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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: rule · spring · swing · lean · bass · current · rest · mark

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bass — low music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — a break
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. spring — a coil
  8. current — of water
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lean — thin
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — of water
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a grade
  18. current — happening now
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  24. swing — music

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