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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: face · branch · foot · current · rush · craft · key · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. foot — a measure
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. craft — boats
  6. spell — letters
  7. face — to point toward
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spell — a short time
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. craft — a skill
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — the most important part
  22. face — part of the head
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — to hurry

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