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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: mate · current · cell · spell · leaves · nail · court · sharp

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mate — a partner
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spell — magic
  8. sharp — clever
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spell — letters
  13. cell — in biology
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — to breed
  16. court — of law
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. current — electric
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. current — of water
  24. nail — on a finger

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