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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — of water
  4. mug — to rob
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — happening now
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chip — for betting
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — magic
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — the season
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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