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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — electric
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tear — from crying
  7. current — happening now
  8. clip — to cut
  9. spell — magic
  10. season — of the year
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. clip — for paper
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mark — a grade
  19. clip — a video
  20. spell — letters
  21. current — of water
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. mark — to pay attention

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