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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: last · snap · drill · charge · wave · fan · march · temple

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. march — music
  4. last — final
  5. march — the month
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — a price
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. drill — army training
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. last — to go on
  23. charge — in control
  24. temple — a place of worship

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