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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: staff · rock · cold · march · hand · safe · charge · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. staff — a stick
  3. present — a gift
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — in control
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — a price
  14. cold — an illness
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cold — not warm
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — help
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

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