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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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Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. current — electric
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — of the year
  7. cold — not warm
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. craft — boats
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — letters
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — a tin
  24. cold — the Cold War

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