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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 116 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: wind · spell · coach · rule · content · current · nail · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — letters
  4. content — happy
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — magic
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. content — the amount
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. fine — all right
  16. current — electric
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rule — a law
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. content — videos and posts

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