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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. snap — to click
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — electric
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. craft — boats
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a song
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. current — happening now

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