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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitch — completely
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — in control
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. track — a path
  24. tear — to rip

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