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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — finally
  4. present — there
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — a price
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — a company
  15. present — a gift
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — decided
  19. present — the time now
  20. firm — steady
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. last — to go on
  24. charge — in control

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