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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cap — a hat
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. current — happening now
  7. clip — to cut
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — to recline
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. fine — high quality
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — all right
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. craft — boats
  19. press — a publisher
  20. current — of water
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — to push
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fine — a penalty

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