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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. wax — to grow
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fine — high quality
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — electric
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. craft — boats
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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