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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: rash · charge · craft · chip · cell · ground · mate · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — a series
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — in control
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cell — in biology
  18. charge — a price
  19. cell — a phone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mate — to breed
  24. charge — electricity

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