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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — in control
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. race — the arms race
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chest — of your body
  15. race — humankind
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. race — a contest
  19. charge — a price
  20. game — a match
  21. suit — clothes
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. suit — to fit
  24. prune — to trim

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