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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. current — of water
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a ring
  17. march — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — boats
  20. bat — the animal
  21. current — electric
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. board — to get on

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