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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lie — to recline
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — happening now
  6. shower — rain
  7. season — in sport
  8. craft — boats
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bank — of a river
  16. season — of the year
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — to wash
  21. current — electric
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bank — for money

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