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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: current · fall · bound · spring · lie · sharp · ball · wave

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spring — of water
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bound — obliged
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — happening now
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spring — the season
  21. fall — the season
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — exactly

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