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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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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. season — in sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — a stone
  17. craft — a skill
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — in control
  24. wind — moving air

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