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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — thin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. charge — electricity
  7. key — in music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. craft — boats
  23. cold — not warm
  24. charge — a price

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