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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: spell · mouse · cap · cabinet · wind · mark · hand · current

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. spell — magic
  24. cap — a hat

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