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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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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: firm · jam · current · craft · dip · chair · can · lie

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. firm — a company
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lie — to recline
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — of water
  14. firm — steady
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. firm — decided
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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