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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — boats
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. rash — a series
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — hasty
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. current — electric
  15. object — to protest
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a skill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — a thing
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wind — to turn a key

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