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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a line
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — the amount
  7. rock — music
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rock — a stone
  14. content — happy
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — music
  24. nail — on a finger

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