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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — a price
  3. tear — to rip
  4. content — the amount
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — electricity
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — in control
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — to breed
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mate — a friend
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — happy
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. clip — a video
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. march — music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. tear — from crying

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