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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.

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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: current · mug · mark · present · wake · wound · rock · spell

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. present — the time now
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — of water
  8. present — there
  9. mark — a trace
  10. current — happening now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mug — a face
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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