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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. club — a group
  5. cell — in biology
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. club — for dancing
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — in football
  15. club — for golf
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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