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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. current — of water
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. rule — government
  6. current — electric
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. craft — boats
  15. land — ground
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. land — a country
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rash — hasty
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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