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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — a price
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — in control
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. net — for catching
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. charge — electricity
  19. net — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — finally
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. season — in sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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