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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — in a race
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — a container
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. pit — a hole
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. deal — to handle
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. charge — in control
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a round shape

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