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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — tied together
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — in a road

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