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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — moving air
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — a path
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. current — happening now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hide — animal skin

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