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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · rest · charge · cold · bound · object · fan · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — certain
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rest — what's left
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. craft — a skill
  19. charge — a price
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — a thing
  22. charge — in control
  23. object — an aim
  24. bound — tied together

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