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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: rush · jam · cue · content · bark · lie · spring · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — of water
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cue — a hint
  24. current — of water

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