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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rash — a series
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. craft — boats
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hand — help
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — in control
  14. cold — an illness
  15. last — finally
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. last — final
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. last — to go on
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rash — hasty

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