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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
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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: rush · ground · object · charge · jam · temple · mine · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. object — to protest
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rush — hurry
  6. object — a thing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ground — a position
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ground — the earth
  16. charge — a price
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mine — for digging
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. charge — in control
  23. object — an aim
  24. mine — belonging to me

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