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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 124 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. firm — decided
  3. spell — a short time
  4. firm — steady
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wind — moving air
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. craft — a skill
  14. charge — a price
  15. craft — boats
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. charge — electricity
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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