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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — hasty
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — a series
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. craft — boats
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — the underground
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — a container
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. charge — in control
  22. sharp — clever
  23. shower — to wash
  24. tube — in a tire

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