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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: arm · spell · perch · dip · current · rush · rule · land

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — electric
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — of water
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spell — magic
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — hurry
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — happening now
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. arm — part of the body

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