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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. clip — to cut
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. craft — boats
  5. current — happening now
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — a video
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. roll — a list
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. clip — for paper
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. swing — to play on
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. current — electric
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chair — a leader

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