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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 124 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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. roll — on a roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — in sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. current — electric
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — of water
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — a cake
  13. net — for catching
  14. current — happening now
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. roll — a list
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — on the skin
  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