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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: wake · jam · sharp · safe · plane · march · bat · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bat — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. plane — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. march — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — the month
  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