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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. bass — low music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. march — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — in control
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cap — a hat

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