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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: toast · wave · charge · craft · sharp · spell · stand · field

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spell — letters
  10. field — farmland
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. charge — electricity
  16. toast — bread
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spell — magic
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — a short time
  23. field — a subject
  24. wave — with your hand

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