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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · current · spell · spring · ground · rock · face · last

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spell — letters
  11. last — to go on
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. current — happening now
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ground — a position
  19. spell — a short time
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spell — magic
  24. spring — a coil

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