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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 120 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: pitcher · lash · charge · hide · craft · nail · wound · arm

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. charge — a price
  16. craft — boats
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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