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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — electricity
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. charge — in control
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rest — a break
  18. fine — all right
  19. toast — bread
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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