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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: file · toast · current · sharp · spell · wound · cue · bulb

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spell — letters
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — happening now
  6. file — a document
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. spell — magic
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. current — electric
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a line of people
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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