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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · current · bank · toast · pitch · wave · mine · stem

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — letters
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. toast — bread
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. current — of water
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — happening now
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bank — for money
  24. current — electric

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