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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · ruler · lie · safe · bass · rash · bat · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — of water
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rash — a series
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — electric
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. current — happening now
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bat — the animal

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