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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 120 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: bank · straw · pass · current · spring · spell · pitcher · temple

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. current — of water
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — magic
  9. spring — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — letters
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — electric
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bank — of a river

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