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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — electric
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — a skill
  18. current — happening now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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