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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: bank · key · ball · craft · current · arm · wave · file

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bank — of a river
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a document
  8. bank — for money
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. key — the most important part
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. file — a tool

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