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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — to confront
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. swing — music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — part of the head
  18. swing — in golf
  19. march — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — electricity

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