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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.

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: mate · current · craft · saw · mine · stick · clip · stand

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. current — of water
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — a skill
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — boats
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. clip — a video
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. clip — to cut

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