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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. charge — electricity
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rest — a break
  24. march — the month

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