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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — to cut
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of law
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. clip — a video
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. court — for sport
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. clip — for paper
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — to confront
  22. court — of a king
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — in a race

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