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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: sharp · wake · dip · saw · fan · current · spell · tube

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — magic
  15. tube — the underground
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. dip — to sink
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — in a tire

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