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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chest — of your body
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — a box
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — certain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — tied together
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — in control
  17. bound — obliged
  18. charge — a price
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cap — a lid
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cap — a hat

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