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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: game · lash · rule · current · pop · craft · leaves · present

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — electric
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. present — there
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. current — of water
  20. rule — government
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. current — happening now
  23. game — a match
  24. present — the time 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