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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bank — of a river
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bank — for money

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