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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.

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: charge · staff · rash · rush · craft · spring · can · sharp

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. staff — a stick
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spring — a coil
  5. craft — boats
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — a price
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. charge — in control
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rash — a series

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