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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fork — in a road
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — there
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — the month
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. march — music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. present — the time now
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — in football
  24. lie — an untruth

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