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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — high quality
  3. game — a match
  4. fine — all right
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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