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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: cabinet · rash · safe · perch · current · lie · spring · swing

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spring — the season
  6. current — happening now
  7. swing — music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lie — to recline
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — of water
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. swing — to play on

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