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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 120 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
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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: cell · mine · march · charge · stand · mouse · last · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. last — final
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. last — finally
  11. march — the month
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. cell — a phone
  16. march — music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. charge — electricity

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