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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — a series
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rock — music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rule — government
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rule — a law
  21. charge — in control
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — a price
  24. coach — a trainer

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