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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: craft · date · dip · wound · spring · charge · mate · rush

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. charge — in control
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spring — the season
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — boats
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rush — hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — a price
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. dip — to sink
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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