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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: mug · wound · mate · charge · craft · plane · ground · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. charge — a price
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. charge — electricity
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ground — a position
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mug — a face
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mug — to rob
  24. charge — in control

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