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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: hand · charge · present · mark · mouse · craft · net · rest

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — in control
  3. present — a gift
  4. charge — electricity
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. craft — boats
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. hand — help
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. present — the time now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — there
  21. charge — a price
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. net — for catching
  24. mark — a trace

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