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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rush — hurry
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — a price
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. march — music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to click
  24. bowl — to roll

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