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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. march — the month
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. drill — a practice
  8. net — for catching
  9. dip — to sink
  10. charge — a price
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. net — in sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lash — to lash out
  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