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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: current · key · spell · last · pit · leaves · jam · wound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. key — for a lock
  5. current — happening now
  6. key — the most important part
  7. current — of water
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. last — to go on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — in music
  16. current — electric
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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