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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — happening now
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. field — for sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — a committee
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. current — of water
  21. craft — a skill
  22. current — electric
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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