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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: wind · mouse · march · lean · arm · current · spell · suit

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spell — letters
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — the month
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — thin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. march — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. wind — moving air

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