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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pop — to visit
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. craft — a skill

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