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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — electricity
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. race — humankind
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. charge — in control
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. race — the arms race
  14. craft — boats
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. craft — a skill
  18. race — a contest
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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