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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.

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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: ground · temple · straw · season · calf · rush · charge · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. season — in sport
  4. march — music
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ground — a position
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ground — the earth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — a thrill

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