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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.

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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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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: ruler · last · charge · tube · snap · craft · bass · cell

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — the underground
  4. last — final
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to click
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. last — to go on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — low music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — a price

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