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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — ground
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. land — to come down
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. track — a song
  16. stand — to bear
  17. track — a path
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. land — a country
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. charge — in control
  24. kick — in football

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