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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — boats
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a music group
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — happening now
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — rain

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