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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · spell · leaves · snap · net · key · chair · rest

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. current — electric
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — a short time
  11. snap — to click
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — magic
  14. rest — a break
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — letters
  19. current — happening now
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. current — of water
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  24. net — in sport

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