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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
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 · fork · chest · current · cabinet · mouse · dip · row

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. row — a line
  3. spell — magic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. row — to paddle
  18. spell — letters
  19. current — happening now
  20. chest — a box
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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