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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.

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: fan · cold · arm · dip · charge · patient · craft · stock

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cold — not warm
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — to sink
  7. charge — in control
  8. craft — a skill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stock — shares
  11. cold — an illness
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stock — goods
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — boats
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stock — a soup base

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