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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: march · date · perch · charge · mine · wave · snap · rush

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. march — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. charge — electricity
  19. snap — to click
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — in control
  24. rush — to hurry

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