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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — in control
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — boats
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cell — in biology
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — to go on
  10. bat — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — finally
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. club — for golf
  17. charge — electricity
  18. snap — to click
  19. club — for dancing
  20. last — final
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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