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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. suit — to fit
  4. current — electric
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — of water
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. suit — in cards
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — clothes
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. clip — a video
  20. craft — boats
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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