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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rest — a break
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. craft — boats
  7. pop — soda
  8. current — electric
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rest — what's left
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. current — happening now
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rest — what's left

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