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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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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: key · charge · bound · snap · cell · craft · current · wind

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cell — in biology
  3. current — of water
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — a price
  6. current — happening now
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. current — electric
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bound — certain
  17. key — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — tied together
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bound — obliged
  24. snap — to click

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