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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
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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: ruler · lean · kid · march · charge · rock · mine · fan

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — thin
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. march — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. charge — in control
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — for measuring

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