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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.

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: rush · stock · craft · mine · fall · mouse · charge · spell

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — in control
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — letters
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — boats
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stock — shares
  24. fall — to drop

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