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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. charge — electricity
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rash — hasty
  9. file — a document
  10. craft — boats
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rash — a series
  16. file — a tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kick — in football
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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