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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — boats
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mate — a friend
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to confront
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a partner
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. craft — a skill

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