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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 116 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: track · craft · dip · wind · rush · rock · mark · charge

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — music
  5. track — a path
  6. craft — boats
  7. rush — hurry
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — in control
  24. dip — a sauce

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