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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 your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — in control
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — electricity
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. charge — a price
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — to recline

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