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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
Word bank
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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bound — certain
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — obliged
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. charge — in control
  20. content — happy
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — tied together
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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