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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rash — a series
  5. charge — in control
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a document
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. snap — to click
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. march — the month
  19. rash — hasty
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — the month
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a line of people
  24. season — of the year

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