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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 120 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: lie · stick · bark · bulb · suit · current · mug · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — of water
  18. spring — of water
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — a face
  24. current — happening now

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