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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — a law
  7. current — electric
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — of water
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — boats
  19. scale — size or range
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — happening now
  23. rule — government
  24. scale — in music

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