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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
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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: spell · current · ruler · hide · row · band · ball · plane

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. band — a ring
  3. spell — a short time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a music group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — of water
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. row — to paddle
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — magic
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — happening now
  24. ruler — a monarch

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