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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spring — the season
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — of water
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pit — in a race
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — of ice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — the month
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. plane — in geometry

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