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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — in control
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — help
  7. bound — certain
  8. hand — in cards
  9. last — final
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. drill — army training
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. craft — boats
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — of water
  21. last — finally
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. last — to go on
  24. current — electric

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