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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — a committee
  7. clip — a video
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. board — to get on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. plane — a tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. clip — for paper
  19. charge — in control
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. clip — to cut

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