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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a music group
  4. mark — a grade
  5. roll — a list
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — a cake
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. band — a ring
  15. sharp — clever
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. perch — the fish
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. charge — in control
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. coach — a trainer

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