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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: safe · calf · spring · lie · swing · can · current · bat

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. bat — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. swing — to play on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. current — electric
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — happening now
  24. lie — to recline

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