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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · root · rash · object · current · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. current — of water
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. current — electric
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. root — of a word
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — a thing
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — happening now
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — a short time

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