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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. race — the arms race
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — in control
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rule — government

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