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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. craft — boats
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. cap — of ice
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — electric
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. land — to come down
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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