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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. charge — a price
  8. rock — music
  9. capital — money
  10. chest — a box
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — a path
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. capital — a city
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  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