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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: row · deal · file · spell · pass · current · arm · root

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. file — a line of people
  5. root — of a plant
  6. row — to paddle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — happening now
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. row — a line
  16. root — of a word
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. root — the cause
  20. pass — a permit
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pass — to spend time

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