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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spring — of water
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hand — help
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — a price
  9. spring — the season
  10. hand — in cards
  11. march — the month
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. march — music
  15. charge — in control
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. can — a tin

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