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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · face · rock · bound · drill · current · hand · craft

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — electric
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. face — part of the head
  6. drill — army training
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bound — certain
  15. drill — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — help
  22. craft — boats
  23. rock — a stone
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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