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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — the time now
  4. charge — a price
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. net — after costs
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rule — government
  11. net — in sport
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. net — for catching
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — a law
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — a gift

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