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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — of water
  12. capital — money
  13. spell — magic
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. current — electric
  18. spell — letters
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a skill
  23. current — happening now
  24. fall — the season

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