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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. branch — a division
  9. bound — obliged
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. charge — electricity
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — crushed
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. ground — a position
  19. bass — low music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bound — certain
  24. hand — help

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