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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 120 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: can · march · plane · present · charge · cold · mouse · drill

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. drill — army training
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. present — a gift
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — a tool
  19. present — there
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — the time now
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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