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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: rest · spell · lean · trunk · roll · current · fine · chest

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — magic
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — a break
  7. lean — to bend
  8. current — of water
  9. fine — all right
  10. spell — letters
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fine — high quality
  19. current — electric
  20. roll — a list
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. roll — a cake

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