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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: fan · track · rest · suit · spell · current

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — to keep track
  8. current — electric
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. track — a path
  14. spell — magic
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. track — a song
  18. rest — what's left

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