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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.

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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: pass · arm · craft · lean · charge · bear · chest · game

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. charge — a price
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. game — wild animals
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — in control
  16. lean — to bend
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — a box
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pass — a permit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. game — a match

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