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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — in control
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — boats
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — a stick
  18. file — a line of people

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