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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: current · field · lean · craft · cell · suit · spell · tube

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — the underground
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — of water
  5. suit — clothes
  6. field — for sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lean — thin
  10. current — electric
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. field — a subject
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tube — a container
  22. current — happening now
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — in biology

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