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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: chest · season · march · hand · row · charge · fine · stick

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — in cards
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fine — all right
  11. charge — a price
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — of the year
  14. hand — help
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — in sport
  19. march — the month
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. charge — in control
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chest — of your body
  24. row — a line

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