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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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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a document
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. current — of water
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. file — a tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — boats
  19. pit — a hole
  20. current — electric
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. file — a line of people

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