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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. shower — to wash
  3. current — of water
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. craft — boats
  9. content — happy
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chip — to eat
  19. content — the amount
  20. current — electric
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rock — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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