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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 120 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: pass · can · lean · season · charge · fine · mark · cold

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fine — all right
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. charge — a price
  10. lean — thin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. charge — in control
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — a grade

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