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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. charge — in control
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — boats
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. craft — a skill
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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