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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. craft — a skill
  4. land — a country
  5. current — of water
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. land — ground
  16. bark — to shout
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. current — happening now
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — electric
  23. rush — hurry
  24. land — to come down

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