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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — for sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — bread
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — of a king
  13. pop — music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cap — a lid
  16. charge — in control
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — of law
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pop — soda

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