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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: board · swing · craft · shower · file · lean · charge · present

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. swing — music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. file — a document
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — in golf
  10. charge — a price
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — thin
  14. file — a tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. board — to get on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. shower — to wash
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — in control

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