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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: current · temple · clip · club · bear · swing · craft · spring

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. clip — a video
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. current — electric
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spring — of water
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. spring — a coil
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. clip — for paper
  23. current — of water
  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