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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. hand — in cards
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. staff — employees
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hand — help
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. row — a quarrel

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