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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — letters
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. charge — a price
  13. spell — a short time
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. spell — magic
  17. squash — to crush
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. rock — a stone
  22. race — humankind
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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