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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. game — wild animals
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. game — a match
  11. craft — boats
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. chest — a box
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — happening now

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