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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — a price
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — thin
  6. fall — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — a face
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. charge — electricity
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a cup

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