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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. dip — to sink
  4. band — a music group
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — a match
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. band — a ring
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — a skill

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