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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tear — from crying
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bass — low music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. march — music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. suit — to fit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — a price
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. tear — from crying
  20. suit — in cards
  21. charge — in control
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — the fish

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