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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cell — a phone
  4. suit — clothes
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lean — to bend
  7. suit — in cards
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. charge — in control
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — a price
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lean — thin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. suit — to fit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — for light

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