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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — of water
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — a lid
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — a hat
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — happening now
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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