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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: kid · charge · roll · rush · bear · mouse · craft · bass

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — boats
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kid — to tease
  23. roll — a list
  24. bear — the animal

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