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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cell — in biology
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — steady
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cap — a lid
  14. firm — decided
  15. charge — in control
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to bend
  22. firm — a company
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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