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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · present · rock · charge · can · mate · season · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. content — happy
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — a price
  8. mate — to breed
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — in sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — the time now
  15. season — of the year
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. content — the amount
  19. can — to be able to
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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