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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. charge — a price
  7. march — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fall — the season
  11. date — the fruit
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — to crush
  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