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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — to keep track
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rush — hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — side of the head

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