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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — a price
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — in control
  24. track — a song

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