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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. charge — in control
  3. capital — a city
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. drill — army training
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — music
  11. capital — money
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wake — a trail
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. charge — a price
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. drill — the tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rock — a stone

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