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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. charge — in control
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. row — to paddle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — to wash
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. shower — rain
  13. swing — to play on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a line
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. charge — a price
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. temple — a place of worship

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