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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.

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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: object · fan · spell · chip · current · bowl · fall · rash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — an aim
  6. fall — the season
  7. rash — a series
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — to protest
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spell — magic
  22. object — a thing
  23. current — electric
  24. spell — letters

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