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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.

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: shower · cabinet · hide · charge · fine · craft · wound · deal

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fine — high quality
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. charge — in control
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fine — all right

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