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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. band — a music group
  5. craft — boats
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. date — the fruit
  14. last — finally
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. last — to go on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. last — final

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