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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · jam · wound · mine · cabinet · current · sharp · spell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — clever
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spell — letters
  6. tube — the underground
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. current — of water
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mine — for digging
  16. spell — magic
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — a container
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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