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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: bound · charge · cell · arm · temple · chest · track · spring

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — a path
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — electricity
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chest — a box
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — obliged
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spring — of water

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