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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. current — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. current — electric
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — in control
  18. club — a group
  19. charge — electricity
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. current — happening now
  23. charge — a price
  24. club — for golf

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