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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. current — happening now
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. game — a match
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pass — a permit
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. current — electric
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — wild animals
  23. craft — boats
  24. leaves — lets stay

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