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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kid — to tease
  3. charge — a price
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stock — shares
  9. charge — in control
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kid — child
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — goods

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