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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · craft · chair · row · pitcher · bear · charge · last

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. last — to go on
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. last — final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — a price
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. last — finally
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. row — to paddle
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chair — a leader

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