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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — of water
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kid — to tease
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. file — a document
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a partner
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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