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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. current — electric
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wind — moving air
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — decided
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. firm — steady
  15. game — wild animals
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. season — in sport
  24. wind — moving air

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