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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. season — in sport
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — happening now
  14. season — of the year
  15. bank — of a river
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spell — magic
  24. bat — in an idiom

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