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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.

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: season · bank · current · fan · mine · board · spell · staff

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — electric
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — a committee
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — in sport
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — to get on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spell — magic
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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