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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — electricity
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — in sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. charge — in control
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — a price
  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