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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 · season · wake · clip · current · craft · arm · wound

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. season — of the year
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. clip — a video
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. craft — boats
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wake — before a funeral

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