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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — boats
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — to cut
  8. season — of the year
  9. current — electric
  10. branch — a division
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — happening now
  13. season — in sport
  14. clip — a video
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — of water
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. clip — for paper
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. nail — for a hammer

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