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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · wound · face · current · stick · clip · swing · craft

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. current — happening now
  3. swing — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — to play on
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. current — of water
  15. clip — a video
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. current — electric
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — to point toward

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