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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. current — happening now
  12. track — a song
  13. craft — boats
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rock — a stone
  19. track — a path
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — electric
  24. cabinet — ministers

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