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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spell — letters
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cap — a lid
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — a price
  16. bass — low music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — boats
  23. spell — magic
  24. craft — a handicraft

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