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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: rest · rush · ball · field · swing · lean · temple · charge

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. field — farmland
  10. ball — a dance
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — music
  14. field — a subject
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rest — a break
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rush — hurry
  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