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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — a position
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — a price
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. charge — in control
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — to push
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — a leader
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — boats
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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