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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. can — to be able to
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a music group
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — a skill
  16. march — the month
  17. current — electric
  18. cap — a hat
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. current — of water
  22. cap — of ice
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a ring

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