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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. last — finally
  7. hand — in cards
  8. march — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. last — final
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — in control
  15. last — to go on
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rock — a stone
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rock — music
  23. march — the month
  24. hand — help

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