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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tear — to rip
  4. row — to paddle
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — clothes
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. suit — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a ring
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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