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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
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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: charge · wave · trunk · sharp · straw · march · toast · pitch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. charge — electricity
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — completely
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. toast — bread
  22. march — music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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