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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cell — a phone
  3. current — of water
  4. firm — steady
  5. scale — size or range
  6. firm — decided
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — boats
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — to go on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — in music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. craft — a skill
  19. track — a path
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — a company
  22. last — finally
  23. track — a song
  24. craft — a handicraft

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