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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: face · band · current · safe · spring · branch · mine · rush

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a ring
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. band — a music group
  7. face — to point toward
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. current — electric
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — part of the head
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — of water
  15. mine — for digging
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — a division
  20. spring — the season
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. face — to confront
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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