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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — in control
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. clip — a video
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. current — of water
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cell — a phone
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — all right
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fine — high quality
  23. clip — to cut
  24. current — electric

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