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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cap — a lid
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — of water
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mate — a friend
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. craft — boats
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — to lash out

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