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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — in cards
  5. shower — rain
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — electric
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — of water
  16. capital — money
  17. kick — in football
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. suit — clothes
  20. capital — a city
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. craft — a skill
  23. current — happening now
  24. foot — part of the body

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