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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. field — a subject
  3. fine — high quality
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — boats
  7. fine — all right
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. field — for sport
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. field — farmland
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — with your hand

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