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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. charge — in control
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — of the year
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — to recline
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. field — for sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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