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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. snap — to click
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. band — a ring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — electricity
  14. band — a music group
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — a series
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. charge — a price
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a skill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. charge — in control

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