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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. charge — electricity
  7. current — electric
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — of water
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. lie — to recline
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — to shout
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — happening now
  24. bound — certain

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