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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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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: row · deal · file · spell · pass · current

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  3. row — a line
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spell — letters
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. file — a document
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. pass — a permit
  17. file — a line of people
  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