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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — electricity
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a grade
  5. march — music
  6. band — a ring
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — a price
  10. band — a music group
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. last — final
  15. season — in sport
  16. march — the month
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — in control
  22. last — to go on
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. calf — a young animal

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