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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rash — hasty
  3. object — a thing
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — to protest
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. charge — a price
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rash — a series
  20. charge — electricity
  21. object — an aim
  22. roll — a cake
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — a tin

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