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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to confront
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. snap — to click
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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