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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: rock · charge · craft · date · suit · lash · hide · field

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — for sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — farmland
  8. rock — a stone
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. date — the fruit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — a subject
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — a skill
  24. date — on the calendar

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