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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: craft · rock · wave · fan · spell · date · current · bulb

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spell — magic
  4. craft — boats
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — a short time
  8. current — happening now
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — of water
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. current — electric
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fan — a supporter

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