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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · row · last · march · squash · plane · charge · stick

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — to crush
  3. row — to paddle
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — ground
  6. march — the month
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — finally
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the sport
  15. march — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. last — to go on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — a price
  24. last — final

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