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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 120 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: ball · game · wind · temple · drill · cabinet · spell · current

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spell — magic
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — letters
  15. game — a match
  16. spell — a short time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wind — moving air
  20. drill — army training
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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