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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. last — final
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. last — to go on
  5. kick — in football
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. last — finally
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. current — happening now
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — to roll

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