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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. craft — boats
  3. kick — in football
  4. current — happening now
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. net — in sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bore — to tire
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fine — high quality
  14. net — for catching
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. current — of water
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fine — all right
  19. object — to protest
  20. bore — to drill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. object — a thing
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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