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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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 — side of the head
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. root — of a word
  4. last — finally
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — to protest
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — final
  12. root — the cause
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — an aim
  16. firm — a company
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — a thing
  20. charge — electricity
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  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