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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 · leaves · kid · bark · roll · current · bank · fan

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. roll — a list
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. current — happening now
  22. kid — to tease
  23. spell — letters
  24. kid — child

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