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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitch — completely
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. board — to get on
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. board — a committee
  22. cold — not warm
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — to rule out

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