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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. row — to paddle
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. current — electric
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — lets stay

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