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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — electric
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — happening now
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. trunk — of a tree

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