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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — electricity
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. charge — a price
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tear — to rip
  16. board — to get on
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — in control
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — a grade

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