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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. craft — boats
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — child
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — a lid
  13. object — a thing
  14. kid — to tease
  15. march — the month
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — music
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. charge — a price

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