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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. roll — a cake
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bat — the animal

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