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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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468
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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — electricity
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. game — a match
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — to come down
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — in control

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