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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: fine · wound · saw · dip · bulb · scale · craft · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — to sink
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — a price
  6. fine — all right
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. scale — in music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. charge — electricity
  12. craft — boats
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — high quality
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. saw — the tool

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