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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: mouse · lean · present · current · key · tear · craft · date

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — the most important part
  6. current — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — in music
  10. craft — boats
  11. current — happening now
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. current — electric
  15. present — the time now
  16. tear — from crying
  17. present — there
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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