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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. craft — boats
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hand — help
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. suit — in cards
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — in football
  23. suit — to fit
  24. current — electric

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