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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: rush · object · charge · capital · cell · wound · mug · craft

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. object — to protest
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — an aim
  6. craft — boats
  7. cell — in biology
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — money
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. capital — a city
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — hurry

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