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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · bay · drill · hide · pass · march

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. charge — in control
  13. march — music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — army training

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