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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. charge — in control
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cap — of ice
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cap — a hat
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — a lid
  24. charge — a price

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