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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — to protest
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a dance
  20. object — an aim
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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