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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: hide · spell · bank · nail · current · rest · spring · bound

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — a break
  12. bank — of a river
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — magic
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — animal skin

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