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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: key · current · mug · firm · lean · stem · fan · spell

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — magic
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mug — a cup
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to bend
  8. firm — steady
  9. current — happening now
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mug — a face
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — of water
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — letters
  20. current — electric
  21. mug — to rob
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lean — thin
  24. stem — of a plant

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