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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — a price
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. charge — in control
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spell — letters
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — magic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. march — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. nail — for a hammer

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