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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 116 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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468
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 · bank · stand · current · kick · rock · spell · snap

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rock — music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spell — magic
  10. current — of water
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — for money
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — the underground
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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