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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: charge · cue · band · kid · suit · lash · craft · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cue — for pool
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — a price
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. band — a music group
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — child
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. charge — in control
  21. craft — boats
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. band — a rubber band

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