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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — electricity
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. charge — a price
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to confront
  17. charge — in control
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. march — the month
  24. fork — in a road

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