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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: mouse · race · snap · rash · can · current · spell · content

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spell — letters
  3. content — the amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — happening now
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. race — the arms race
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — a series
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. current — electric
  17. can — to be able to
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. content — happy
  24. current — of water

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