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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: wound · rest · temple · swing · charge · bear · mark · deal

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bear — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. swing — in golf
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. temple — side of the head

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