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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: rest · ground · fan · charge · last · lean · march · temple

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — the earth
  17. charge — a price
  18. last — to go on
  19. rest — a break
  20. charge — electricity
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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