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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — in cards
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — help
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — of a plant
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — the cause
  21. content — happy
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. content — the amount

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