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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — electricity
  4. swing — in golf
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. march — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. fall — the season
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — music
  19. march — the month
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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