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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mate — to breed
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — in control
  7. march — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — in football
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — a division
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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