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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — electricity
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — to get on
  10. season — of the year
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bass — the fish
  17. charge — a price
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — a committee
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the instrument

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