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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — size or range
  3. charge — a price
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. charge — in control
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rash — a series
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. craft — boats
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mate — a partner
  21. charge — electricity
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mate — to breed

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