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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. charge — in control
  6. lie — to recline
  7. charge — electricity
  8. march — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. charge — a price
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — the month

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