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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.

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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. charge — in control
  3. present — the time now
  4. charge — a price
  5. field — for sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — a subject
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — a measure
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. charge — electricity
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. field — farmland
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. key — in music

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