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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chest — a box
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — in control
  13. march — the month
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tube — a container
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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