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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 116 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: charge · rest · fan · mug · wave · tube · fork · march

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — electricity
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — in control
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — a container
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — a price
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — a face

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