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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. drill — a practice
  3. march — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — a series
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. march — the month
  14. drill — army training
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a hole
  17. last — finally
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. last — final
  24. rash — hasty

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