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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: chest · saw · ball · trunk · race · craft · wave · charge

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — in control
  5. craft — boats
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. race — humankind
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chest — a box
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. craft — a handicraft

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