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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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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 · stem · temple · charge · nail · lie · deal · racket

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — to come from
  24. charge — a price

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