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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — rain
  3. swing — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. march — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. charge — a price
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — a trail
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. swing — to play on
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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