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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — of water
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — electric
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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