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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: stick · scale · saw · rock · hide · charge · march · shower

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. charge — in control
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — in music
  6. march — music
  7. shower — to wash
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. shower — rain
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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