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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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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. current — happening now
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — the season
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. current — of water
  9. present — a gift
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. current — electric
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spring — of water
  22. present — the time now
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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