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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — a match
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. capital — a city
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. capital — money
  18. charge — in control
  19. march — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lean — thin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — the month
  24. charge — a price

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