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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. current — of water
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lean — thin
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — happening now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — electric
  15. craft — boats
  16. drill — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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