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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 120 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: rest · current · suit · sharp · bark · temple · spell · cap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bark — to shout
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a hat
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — magic
  7. suit — clothes
  8. current — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. current — happening now
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — electric
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. suit — to fit
  24. temple — a place of worship

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