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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. charge — electricity
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. capital — a city
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. capital — money
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — clever
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. board — a committee
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. charge — a price
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bear — to put up with

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