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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. object — a thing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rush — hurry
  6. charge — in control
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — a price
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. temple — side of the head

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