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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. charge — electricity
  3. track — a path
  4. march — the month
  5. last — finally
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — a series
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lie — to recline
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — hasty
  16. roll — a list
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. track — to keep track
  23. roll — a cake
  24. track — a song

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