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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. band — a ring
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — of water
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rash — hasty
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — happening now
  12. band — a music group
  13. bound — certain
  14. rash — a series
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. craft — boats
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — a skill
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bat — the animal

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