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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — hasty
  7. land — ground
  8. craft — a skill
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — electric
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a lid
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. land — a country
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — a series
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — an aim

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