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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: drill · bulb · march · wound · fork · stem · cabinet · charge

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — a price
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — to come from
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — army training
  17. march — the month
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. charge — in control
  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