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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — a match
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — to handle
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. charge — a price
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pass — a permit
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pass — to succeed

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