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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — a video
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mate — a friend
  21. march — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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