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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: rest · spring · dip · ball · bear · current · wake · bound

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. current — happening now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bound — tied together
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rest — a break
  15. ball — a dance
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — of water
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — a coil

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