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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: sharp · spell · key · current · stick · mark · face · march

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. current — electric
  7. face — to confront
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — letters
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — in music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. current — of water

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