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

Word bank: nail · fall · pit · charge · straw · ground · kick · temple

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kick — in football
  3. fall — the season
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — a price
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — the earth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fall — to drop
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. nail — for a hammer

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