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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: scale · last · current · temple · wound · spell · stick · pitcher

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. scale — in music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. current — electric
  11. last — to go on
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. spell — magic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spell — letters
  20. last — final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — finally

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