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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — of water
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — a skill
  13. current — electric
  14. present — the time now
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — boats
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. present — there

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