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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. charge — a price
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bat — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. charge — in control
  10. bark — to shout
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. shower — rain
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. toast — bread
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stand — to bear

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