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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lie — to recline
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. land — to come down
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — clever
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — ground
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — an untruth

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