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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — in football
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bass — low music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. charge — a price
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bear — the animal

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