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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. charge — electricity
  3. present — a gift
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. present — the time now
  11. march — the month
  12. capital — money
  13. march — music
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — a tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — in control
  19. present — there
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — a price
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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