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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 · fork · straw · leaves · pitcher · pass · spell · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. current — happening now
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spell — magic
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fork — in a road

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