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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: current · face · file · spell · club · craft · perch · kid

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a document
  3. kid — child
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — electric
  6. craft — a skill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. file — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — to point toward
  13. craft — boats
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — a group
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spell — letters
  19. kid — to tease
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — of water
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. club — for golf
  24. perch — the fish

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