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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. game — a match
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kid — to tease

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