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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — of a river
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — a short time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. track — a song
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — of water
  18. hand — in cards
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — help
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. bank — for money

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