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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fine — all right
  5. bass — the fish
  6. file — a tool
  7. current — of water
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — happening now
  19. file — a document
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. current — electric
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fine — high quality

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