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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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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: last · charge · mouse · rock · mine · hand · craft · rash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mine — for digging
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rash — a series
  5. hand — in cards
  6. charge — in control
  7. rock — music
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. last — final
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — help
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — boats
  23. last — to go on
  24. rash — hasty

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