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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. craft — boats
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. file — a line of people
  22. charge — a price
  23. file — a document
  24. bowl — a dish

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