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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.

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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: spell · bowl · face · shower · saw · bound · hand · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bound — obliged
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — of water
  5. spell — magic
  6. face — part of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — rain
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — a short time
  15. current — happening now
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spell — letters
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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