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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to click
  8. mate — a friend
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — happening now
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — boats
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rock — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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