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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · fan · last · wave · season · spell · current · row

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. last — final
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — happening now
  12. row — to paddle
  13. current — electric
  14. spell — magic
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — finally
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spell — a short time
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. row — a line

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