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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: lean · lie · current · date · spell · kid · spring · fine

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — electric
  5. spring — of water
  6. kid — to tease
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fine — all right
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — high quality
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — a coil
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spring — the season
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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