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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kid — to tease
  12. press — newspapers
  13. drill — army training
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. perch — the fish
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — a practice
  23. perch — for a bird
  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