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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. roll — a list
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. charge — in control
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chest — of your body
  15. charge — a price
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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