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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · season · present · fall · trunk · march · charge · mug

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. season — of the year
  5. mug — a face
  6. fall — the season
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kick — in football
  9. present — the time now
  10. march — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. charge — electricity
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mug — a cup
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. present — a gift
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. season — in sport

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