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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. charge — a price
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — help
  7. march — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ball — a great time
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ball — a dance
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. charge — in control

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