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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — music
  3. band — a music group
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. staff — employees
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. hand — help
  23. craft — boats
  24. staff — employees

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