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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 120 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
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 · object · rock · current · leaves · charge · cold · swing

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. current — electric
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — a stone
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — to protest
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — music
  13. current — of water
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. charge — electricity
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — a thing
  19. charge — in control
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spell — magic
  22. cold — not warm
  23. current — happening now
  24. leaves — lets stay

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