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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: key · file · mouse · current · wake · chair · spell · temple

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. key — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. current — of water
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wake — a trail
  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