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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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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: degree · spell · trunk · pop · current · mark · shower · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. file — a line of people
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — magic
  9. degree — an amount
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — soda
  13. spell — letters
  14. pop — music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pop — to visit
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. shower — to wash
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spell — a short 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