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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · jam · roll · charge · temple · last

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. last — final
  4. roll — a cake
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — a price
  11. last — to go on
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — finally
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. charge — in control
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — a tight spot

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