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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a match
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a dance
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cell — in biology
  17. current — electric
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — a kind of play

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