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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.

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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 · mug · wound · cell · charge · pass · cap · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a hat
  12. charge — a price
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mug — a face
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wound — an injury

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