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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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Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — for a lock
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. mug — a cup
  10. current — happening now
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cold — not warm
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — of water
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cold — an illness

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