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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. craft — boats
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. charge — electricity
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — in control
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — a jug

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