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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — thin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. suit — in cards
  14. charge — a price
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — of law
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — in control
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — to bend

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