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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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Word bank
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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: march · charge · season · lie · tube · rash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — a price
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. march — music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — electricity
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. rash — hasty

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