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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. charge — a price
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — electric
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bat — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. current — happening now
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. craft — boats
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wind — moving air

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