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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bore — to drill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — in control
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — happening now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — music
  15. current — of water
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. swing — to play on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — a price

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