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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · straw · season · leaves · foot · wind · current · chest

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — of water
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chest — a box
  23. season — of the year
  24. leaves — to go away

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