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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bear — the animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. season — of the year
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. season — in sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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