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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — in control
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — a price
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. calf — of the leg

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