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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cold — not warm
  14. charge — in control
  15. foot — a measure
  16. squash — the sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cold — an illness
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. arm — part of the body

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