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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — of ice
  3. object — a thing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ground — a position
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — an aim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — of water
  18. ground — crushed
  19. object — to protest
  20. bark — to shout
  21. current — electric
  22. press — to push
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — boats

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