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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: mate · charge · spring · craft · foot · kid · swing · bound

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spring — of water
  5. foot — a measure
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — boats
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — the season
  14. kid — to tease
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. charge — a price
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spring — a coil
  24. charge — electricity

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