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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — a price
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — a partner
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — in control
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. charge — electricity

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