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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. charge — electricity
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. drill — army training
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — a price
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — in control
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ruler — for measuring

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