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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: track · season · mine · hide · trunk · march · charge · mug

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. season — in sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mug — a face
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. charge — in control
  13. track — a path
  14. charge — a price
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. march — the month
  19. mug — to rob
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. season — of the year
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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