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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. net — after costs
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. deal — to handle
  12. shower — to wash
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. net — for catching
  18. temple — a place of worship

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