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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mug — a cup
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — a skill
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mine — for digging
  12. file — a document
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. file — a line of people
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. craft — boats
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — to rob
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — to get on
  23. mug — a face
  24. can — a tin

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