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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. current — electric
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. court — for sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of law
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. can — to be able to
  19. current — happening now
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. current — of water
  23. lean — thin
  24. can — a tin

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