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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: fork · current · shower · racket · spell · wound · drill · file

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. file — a tool
  3. shower — rain
  4. file — a line of people
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spell — a short time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — in a road
  15. file — a document
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — magic
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — electric
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — to eat with

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