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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · bore · charge · wake · craft · lean

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. craft — boats
  16. charge — in control
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rush — to hurry

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