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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. craft — boats
  4. current — of water
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. face — part of the head
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. current — electric
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. current — happening now
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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