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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cap — of ice
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tube — a container
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spell — letters
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spell — a short time
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — a thrill

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