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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: bear · ruler · lie · spring · face · mark · sharp · current

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spring — of water
  3. current — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. face — to confront
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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