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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: dip · current · craft · rule · ball · spell · trunk · face

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — a skill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — government
  7. face — to confront
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a dance
  11. current — happening now
  12. face — to point toward
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — part of the head
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — electric
  20. spell — a short time
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. craft — boats

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