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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — a division
  5. bound — obliged
  6. suit — in cards
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — for a lock
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — clothes
  18. key — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — a price

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