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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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Word bank
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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — a list
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — hurry
  6. perch — the fish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — to rob
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — in music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — in control
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. arm — part of the 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