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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 116 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: bark · kick · charge · craft · band · squash · shower · sharp

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — in football
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. charge — electricity
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — boats
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. shower — rain
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. charge — a price
  21. sharp — clever
  22. squash — to crush
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — of a tree

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