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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — in control
  3. prune — to trim
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — boats
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. charge — a price
  20. capital — a city
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. prune — the fruit

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