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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. roll — a list
  6. charge — in control
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. roll — a cake
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — music

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