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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: mug · fall · current · lean · bulb · last · spell · file

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. file — a document
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. file — a tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — to rob
  14. last — to go on
  15. mug — a face
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — thin
  19. last — finally
  20. current — of water
  21. file — a line of people
  22. current — electric
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fall — to drop

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