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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. current — happening now
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. craft — boats
  5. current — of water
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cap — a hat
  9. current — electric
  10. chip — for betting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. object — an aim
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wind — moving air
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. object — a thing
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. object — to protest

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