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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — electricity
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. charge — in control
  7. craft — boats
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. craft — a skill
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. track — a path
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cell — a phone
  18. charge — a price
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — in biology
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — a song
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — a loud noise

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