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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — electric
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — a skill
  9. object — an aim
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bound — certain
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. object — to protest
  24. current — happening now

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