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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — in control
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — the amount
  10. file — a line of people
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — electricity
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. file — a document
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. content — happy
  24. lie — to recline

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