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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with 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. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hand — help
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. file — a document
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chair — a leader
  17. charge — in control
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. file — a tool

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