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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spring — the season
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — of water
  12. fork — in a road
  13. current — electric
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spring — of water
  17. foot — a measure
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — happening now
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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