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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. date — the fruit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — electricity
  8. roll — a cake
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — in control
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. perch — 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