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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a partner
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. current — electric
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — in music
  17. current — happening now
  18. key — the most important part
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. current — of water

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