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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bound — obliged
  10. charge — a price
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. charge — electricity
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — tied together
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. charge — in control

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