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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spell — magic
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. can — to be able to
  5. march — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — to crush
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spell — letters
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. charge — in control
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. wound — an injury

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