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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cue — a hint
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. charge — a price
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — a position
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. charge — in control
  17. tear — from crying
  18. march — music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cue — for pool

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