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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · charge · lie · chip · rash · bass · temple · wake

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — low music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — a series
  10. foot — a measure
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. charge — in control
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — to eat
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chip — in a computer

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