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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. craft — boats
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — happening now
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — tied together
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — letters
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — certain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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