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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: charge · rash · craft · content · bulb · wound · key · wind

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — in control
  5. rash — a series
  6. charge — a price
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wound — an injury
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — electricity
  16. craft — boats
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — in music
  19. content — happy
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wind — moving air

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